If you want your house to radiate a welcoming and airy ambiance, the natural light in your house plays a role. This can be especially important when your house seems dark, or you want to make a room seem more spacious.

There are different ways to control the natural light in your home. You can achieve better lighting with the addition of window treatments, specifically blackout blinds or vertical blinds, as well as changing the paint, flooring, doors, greenery, and mirrors.

Here are tips on how to control the natural light in your home:

1. Use Window Treatments

Various types of window treatments can help adjust the natural lighting in a room, whether you want to dim down or brighten up the space. A common mistake committed by many is staying safe with traditional curtains that will make any space dark. Nowadays, there are various options available to allow you to control the natural light in your home. Here are a few window treatments that can help you achieve this:

• When combined or layered with blinds, sheer curtains can provide a space with plenty of light while keeping the airy ambiance.
• Top-down-bottom-up blinds or blackout blinds are the ideal choice if you want to maximise natural lighting in your home. You can easily adjust the blinds at any spot on your window by pulling it upwards and downwards. This would depend on the amount of light you want within the space. These blinds also allow you to maintain your privacy while, at the same time, getting the most of the natural light.
• For sliding doors or large windows, you might want to consider getting vertical blinds. You can easily push them back during the day or slightly open them at certain hours, depending on the light that you need in the space. Nowadays, they’re available in various textures and colours that you can choose from to best suit your home.

2. Repaint The Walls

Aside from the windows, the walls in your house also have a vital role in how bright or dark a room might be. No matter how much natural light enters, a room with dark green or blue paint will still feel gloomy. Try to stick with light and neutral paint colors for your home, especially light-reflecting shades such as yellow, off-white, or pale blue. These shades reflect natural light while also providing an open ambiance.

Don’t neglect your ceiling as well. Try to keep it simple and go for flat white. If you’re feeling adventurous, choose a shade lighter than the walls to create the illusion of a higher ceiling.

3. Change The Flooring

The flooring in your home can be switched to ceramic, wooden, or stone floors with a polished finish to reflect natural light throughout your home. For those who prefer to stick with carpets, choose light or neutral shades.

4. Place Mirrors In Strategic Areas

For a quick fix when dealing with dim spaces, mirrors are the best choice. When positioned correctly, mirrors can double the size of a room. If you position a mirror across a window of the same size, it bounces the natural light throughout the room. When you position a mirror at the end of a dim hallway, it allows light to move up and down the hall.

5. Adjust The Décor

One way to make the most out of natural light in any space in your home is to adjust the décor. An important rule is to keep your scheme within a neutral and light range to allow the light to reach all corners of the room. Remember that you can go for lively, patterned accents to add spark to your space. Here are a few simple changes you can do with the décor:

• Repaint cupboards or cabinets with neutral shades, and add bright-coloured handles and knobs. You can even add clear glass panes to the cupboards.
• Swap your heavy, dark wooden furniture to avoid dim shadows and corners. Go for smaller pieces of furniture such as slim coffee tables or loveseats to make the space look bright and inviting.
• Choose bed linens in neutral shades and complement with throws, pillows, and paintings with vibrant colours.
• Declutter your home to achieve a minimalistic look. Once everything is in the right place, natural light will bounce off gleaming tables, countertops, and the fridge.

6. Add Shiny Surfaces

It might be time to transform your dark kitchen or bathroom with a glossy makeover by adding shiny surfaces. These surfaces will reflect the natural light filtering into the room and make the space look bigger and brighter.

In other rooms in your home, you can add furniture and accessories with reflective surfaces to diffuse the light. Glass, metallic, and mirrored accessories can maximise the natural light and impart a stylish element throughout your home.

7. Trim The Greenery

The outdoors is also a factor in controlling the natural light in your home. The greenery outside can affect the amount of light that enters each room. It might be time to check your lawn or garden and trim any bushes, trees, or climbing plants that are starting to grow around your windows and doors.

8. Change The Doors

One of the major culprits of blocking natural light are doors. When you have solid wooden doors, they stop natural light from reaching other areas of your home, especially hallways and kitchens. A quick fix is to take the door down since kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms no longer need interconnecting doors. This approach provides your home with an open ambiance and allows natural light to move through the other rooms.

If taking out a door is not an option for you, adding windows to doors with frosted glass will allow natural light to move through. This a great option for front doors and bathroom doors. You can also go for painted glass that maintains your privacy while allowing light to flow through to hallways and connecting rooms. If you have the budget, French doors are good options for back doors or dining rooms.

Final Thoughts

When you want a room in your home to become more inviting, bright, or spacious, these eight ways to control the natural light in your home will surely come in handy.

Depending on your preferences, combine these options to achieve a bright and airy ambiance. Go for blackout blinds with the right paint colors or add shiny surfaces to make a room truly inviting. These tips will easily transform your home into an inviting and lively space that you and your family will surely love.